Light-Based imaging may cut unnecessary breast biopsies

This study tested whether adding a special light-based imaging tool (called diffuse optical tomography) to standard ultrasound can help doctors tell the difference between harmless and cancerous breast lumps. The goal was to see if this could safely reduce the number of women who need a needle biopsy for a benign (non-cancerous) finding. About 298 women with suspicious breast lumps took part. The approach combines a regular ultrasound probe with near-infrared light sensors to measure blood flow in the lump, which can signal cancer.